DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the 04/16/2026 amendment.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 04/16/2026 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 – 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2024/0405678; (hereinafter Nisimoto).
Regarding claim 1, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses a switching power converter, comprising: a plurality of power stages, each power stage including a respective power transformer [e.g. TR1, TR2, …, TRN]; and a blocking capacitor [e.g. C3]; wherein the blocking capacitor and a respective secondary winding [e.g. Ls1, Ls2, Lsn] of each power transformer are electrically coupled in series between an output power node [e.g. T2] of the switching power converter and a reference node [e.g. ground] of the switching power converter, without a separate path from the series connection to the reference node that bypasses the output power node [e.g. the series connection begins with current I1 at node T2, then current I3 continues with the capacitor C3 and current I5 with L2, Ls1, Ls2, Lsn and ground. Therefore, even though L1 to ground is connected to the series connection, it does not bypass the output power node T2].
Regarding claim 2, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses further comprising a tuning inductor [e.g. L2] electrically coupled in series with the injection capacitor [e.g. C3] and the respective secondary winding of each power transformer.
Regarding claim 3, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses further comprising a controller [e.g. 10] configured to control duty cycle of the plurality of power stages to regulate at least one parameter of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 09 recites “An object of the present disclosure is to provide a voltage regulator capable of suppressing ripples of an output current while maintaining a high response to a load fluctuation without using a large noise filter in a voltage regulator such as TLVR, and a power converter apparatus including the voltage regulator”. Further, paragraph 032 recites “The step-down chopper operation (or step-down switching operation) of each of the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn is controlled based on gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 from the control circuit 10. That is, the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn include switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n, respectively, and the switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n switch the input voltage Vin according to gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 to convert the input voltage Vin into an AC voltage and output the AC voltage to inductors Lp1 to Lpn of primary windings of transformers TR1 to TRn”].
Regarding claim 4, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein each power transformer includes a respective primary winding [e.g. Lp1, Lp2, …, Lpn] electrically coupled to the output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. T2].
Regarding claim 5, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein the switching power converter is configured such that current flowing through the secondary windings of the power transformers at least partially cancels ripple current flowing through the primary windings of the power transformers, at the output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 014 recites “according to the voltage regulator according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to significantly suppress ripples of the output current”].
Regarding claim 6, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein the switching power converter is configured such that current flowing through the secondary windings of the power transformers [e.g. I1] adds to alternating current flowing through the primary windings of the power transformers [e.g. I3], at the output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. T2].
Regarding claim 7, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein each power stage further includes a respective switching stage [e.g. St1, Sb1, St2, Sb2,…Stn, Sbn] electrically coupled to the primary winding of the respective power transformer of the power stage.
Regarding claim 8, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein the switching power converter has a buck-type topology [e.g. Abstract recites “A voltage regulator includes chopper circuits connected in parallel, and a second series circuit”, as shown in Fig. 1, the chopper constitute a buck converter topology].
Regarding claim 9, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses a switching power converter, comprising: a first power stage, the first power stage including: a first switching stage [e.g. St1, Sb1], a first power transformer [e.g. TR1] including a first primary winding [e.g. Lp1] and a first secondary winding [e.g. Ls1], the first primary winding being electrically coupled between the first switching stage and an output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. T2]; a second power stage, the second power stage including: a second switching stage [e.g. St2, Sb2], a second power transformer [e.g. TR2] including a second primary winding [e.g. Lp2] and a second secondary winding [e.g. Ls2], the second primary winding being electrically coupled between the second switching stage and the output power node of the switching power converter; and a blocking capacitor [e.g. C2]; wherein the blocking capacitor, the first secondary winding, and the second secondary winding are electrically coupled in series between the output power node [e.g. T2] of the switching power converter and a reference node [e.g. ground] of the switching power converter, without a separate path from the series connection to the reference node that bypasses the output power node [e.g. the series connection begins with current I1 at node T2, then current I3 continues with the capacitor C3 and current I5 with L2, Ls1, Ls2, Lsn and ground. Therefore, even though L1 to ground is connected to the series connection, it does not bypass the output power node T2]..
Regarding claim 10, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses further comprising a third power stage, the third power stage including: a third switching stage [e.g. Stn, Sbn]; and a third power transformer [e.g. TRn] including a third primary winding [e.g. Lpn] and a third secondary winding [e.g. Lsn], the third primary winding being electrically coupled between the third switching stage and the output power node of the switching power converter; wherein the blocking capacitor, the first secondary winding, the second secondary winding, and the third secondary winding are electrically coupled in series between the output power node of the switching power converter and the reference node of the switching power converter [e.g. as shown].
Regarding claim 11, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses further comprising a controller [e.g. 10], the controller being configured to control at least the first switching stage and the second switching stage to regulate at least one parameter of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 09 recites “An object of the present disclosure is to provide a voltage regulator capable of suppressing ripples of an output current while maintaining a high response to a load fluctuation without using a large noise filter in a voltage regulator such as TLVR, and a power converter apparatus including the voltage regulator”. Further, paragraph 032 recites “The step-down chopper operation (or step-down switching operation) of each of the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn is controlled based on gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 from the control circuit 10. That is, the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn include switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n, respectively, and the switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n switch the input voltage Vin according to gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 to convert the input voltage Vin into an AC voltage and output the AC voltage to inductors Lp1 to Lpn of primary windings of transformers TR1 to TRn”].
Regarding claim 12, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses a switching power converter, comprising: a plurality of power stages [e.g. B1-Bn], each power stage including a respective power transfer winding [e.g. Ls1-Lsn]; a boost winding [e.g. L2] forming at least one turn around a respective leakage magnetic flux path of each power transfer winding [e.g. magnetic flux between L2 and Ls1-Lsn]; and a blocking capacitor [e.g. C3]; wherein the blocking capacitor and the boost winding are electrically coupled in series between an output power node [e.g. T2] of the switching power converter and a reference node of the switching power converter [e.g. ground], without a separate path from the series connection to the reference node that bypasses the output power node [e.g. the series connection begins with current I1 at node T2, then current I3 continues with the capacitor C3 and current I5 with L2, Ls1, Ls2, Lsn and ground. Therefore, even though L1 to ground is connected to the series connection, it does not bypass the output power node T2]..
Regarding claim 13 Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses further comprising a controller [e.g. 10] configured to control duty cycle of the plurality of power stages to regulate at least one parameter of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 09 recites “An object of the present disclosure is to provide a voltage regulator capable of suppressing ripples of an output current while maintaining a high response to a load fluctuation without using a large noise filter in a voltage regulator such as TLVR, and a power converter apparatus including the voltage regulator”. Further, paragraph 032 recites “The step-down chopper operation (or step-down switching operation) of each of the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn is controlled based on gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 from the control circuit 10. That is, the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn include switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n, respectively, and the switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n switch the input voltage Vin according to gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 to convert the input voltage Vin into an AC voltage and output the AC voltage to inductors Lp1 to Lpn of primary windings of transformers TR1 to TRn”].
Regarding claim 14, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses wherein each power stage further includes a respective switching stage [e.g. St1, Sb1, St2, Sb2,…, Stn, Sbn] electrically coupled to the respective power transfer winding of the power stage [e.g. Ls1-Lsn].
Regarding claim 15, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses further comprising a controller [e.g. 10] configured to control the respective switching stage of each power stage to regulate at least one parameter of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 09 recites “An object of the present disclosure is to provide a voltage regulator capable of suppressing ripples of an output current while maintaining a high response to a load fluctuation without using a large noise filter in a voltage regulator such as TLVR, and a power converter apparatus including the voltage regulator”. Further, paragraph 032 recites “The step-down chopper operation (or step-down switching operation) of each of the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn is controlled based on gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 from the control circuit 10. That is, the step-down chopper circuits B1 to Bn include switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n, respectively, and the switching circuits 11-1 to 11-n switch the input voltage Vin according to gate control signals Sg11, Sg12; Sg21, Sg22; . . . ; Sgn1, Sgn2 to convert the input voltage Vin into an AC voltage and output the AC voltage to inductors Lp1 to Lpn of primary windings of transformers TR1 to TRn”].
Regarding claim 16, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses further comprising a tuning inductor [e.g. L3] electrically coupled in series with the blocking capacitor and the boost winding.
Regarding claim 17, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 1] discloses wherein the switching power converter is configured such that current flowing through the boost winding at least partially cancels ripple current flowing through the power transfer windings of the power stages, at the output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. paragraph 014 recites “according to the voltage regulator according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to significantly suppress ripples of the output current”].
Regarding claim 18, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses wherein the switching power converter is configured such that current flowing through the boost winding [e.g. I1] adds to alternating current flowing through the power transfer windings [e.g. I3] of the power stages, at the output power node of the switching power converter [e.g. T2].
Regarding claim 19, Nishimoto [e.g. Fig. 10] discloses wherein the switching power converter has a buck-type topology [e.g. Abstract recites “A voltage regulator includes chopper circuits connected in parallel, and a second series circuit”, as shown in Fig. 1, the chopper constitute a buck converter topology].
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant(s) argue(s) in pages 8 – 9 with respect to claim 1, 9 and 12:
“Nishimoto discloses a series connection of secondary windings Ls1-Lsn and capacitor C3 connected to output terminal T2, Nishimoto's circuit topology is fundamentally different from amended claim 1. Specifically, in Nishimoto FIG. 1, inductor L1 is connected between node N1 and the reference node (ground), thereby providing a separate and direct path from the series connection of secondary windings Ls1-Lsn to the reference node that bypasses the output power node T2. This separate path through L1 to the reference node causes the secondary winding current to split at node N1, with only a portion of the secondary winding current flowing toward the output terminal T2 through capacitor C3, and the remainder flowing directly to ground through L1. That is, as seen in FIG. 1 of Nishimoto, I3=I5+I4, meaning that the current flowing toward the output node T2 through C3 is only a fraction of the total secondary winding current, the remainder (I4) being diverted to ground through L1”.
In response, Nishimoto’s L1 to ground branch does not bypass the output power node T2 as argued above. That is, the series connection begins with current I1 at node T2, then current I3 continues with the capacitor C3 and current I5 with L2, Ls1, Ls2, Lsn and ground. Therefore, even though L1 to ground is connected to the series connection, it does not bypass the output power node T2. Therefore, the argument is not persuasive and the rejection is maintained in view of Nishimoto.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 20 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further comprising a transformer, wherein the boost winding is electrically coupled in series with the blocking capacitor via the transformer”.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ALEX TORRES-RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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